the americanization of edward bok-第81章

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e：　it　was　not　done　at　all　if　it　was　not　done　well。　I　came　to　America　to　be　taught　exactly　the　opposite。　The　two　infernal　Americanisms　〃That's　good　enough〃　and　〃That　will　do〃　were　early　taught　me；　together　with　the　maxim　of　quantity　rather　than　quality。

It　was　not　the　boy　at　school　who　could　write　the　words　in　his　copy…book　best　who　received　the　praise　of　the　teacher；　it　was　the　boy　who　could　write　the　largest　number　of　words　in　a　given　time。　The　acid　test　in　arithmetic　was　not　the　mastery　of　the　method；　but　the　number　of　minutes　required　to　work　out　an　example。　If　a　boy　abbreviated　the　month　January　to　〃Jan。〃and　the　word　Company　to　〃Co。〃　he　received　a　hundred　per　cent　mark；　as　did　the　boy　who　spelled　out　the　words　and　who　could　not　make　the　teacher　see　that　〃Co。〃　did　not　spell　〃Company。〃

As　I　grew　into　young　manhood；　and　went　into　business；　I　found　on　every　hand　that　quantity　counted　for　more　than　quality。　The　emphasis　was　almost　always　placed　on　how　much　work　one　could　do　in　a　day；　rather　than　upon　how　well　the　work　was　done。　Thoroughness　was　at　a　discount　on　every　hand；　production　at　a　premium。　It　made　no　difference　in　what　direction　I　went；　the　result　was　the　same：　the　cry　was　always　for　quantity；　quantity！　And　into　this　atmosphere　of　almost　utter　disregard　for　quality　I　brought　my　ideas　of　Dutch　thoroughness　and　my　conviction　that　doing　well　whatever　I　did　was　to　count　as　a　cardinal　principle　in　life。

During　my　years　of　editorship；　save　in　one　or　two　conspicuous　instances；　I　was　never　able　to　assign　to　an　American　writer；　work　which　called　for　painstaking　research。　In　every　instance；　the　work　came　back　to　me　either　incorrect　in　statement；　or　otherwise　obviously　lacking　in　careful　preparation。

One　of　the　most　successful　departments　I　ever　conducted　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　called　for　infinite　reading　and　patient　digging；　with　the　actual　results　sometimes　almost　negligible。　I　made　a　study　of　my　associates　by　turning　the　department　over　to　one　after　another；　and　always　with　the　same　result：　absolute　lack　of　a　capacity　for　patient　research。　As　one　of　my　editors；　typically　American；　said　to　me：　〃It　isn't　worth　all　the　trouble　that　you　put　into　it。〃　Yet　no　single　department　ever　repaid　the　searcher　more　for　his　pains。　Save　for　assistance　derived　from　a　single　person；　I　had　to　do　the　work　myself　for　all　the　years　that　the　department　continued。　It　was　apparently　impossible　for　the　American　to　work　with　sufficient　patience　and　care　to　achieve　a　result。

We　all　have　our　pet　notions　as　to　the　particular　evil　which　is　〃the　curse　of　America；〃　but　I　always　think　that　Theodore　Roosevelt　came　closest　to　the　real　curse　when　he　classed　it　as　a　lack　of　thoroughness。

Here　again；　in　one　of　the　most　important　matters　in　life；　did　America　fall　short　with　me；　and；　what　is　more　important；　she　is　falling　short　with　every　foreigner　that　comes　to　her　shores。

In　the　matter　of　education；　America　fell　far　short　in　what　should　be　the　strongest　of　all　her　institutions：　the　public　school。　A　more　inadequate；　incompetent　method　of　teaching；　as　I　look　back　over　my　seven　years　of　attendance　at　three　different　public　schools；　it　is　difficult　to　conceive。　If　there　is　one　thing　that　I；　as　a　foreign…born　child；　should　have　been　carefully　taught；　it　is　the　English　language。　The　individual　effort　to　teach　this；　if　effort　there　was；　and　I　remember　none；　was　negligible。　It　was　left　for　my　father　to　teach　me；　or　for　me　to　dig　it　out　for　myself。　There　was　absolutely　no　indication　on　the　part　of　teacher　or　principal　of　responsibility　for　seeing　that　a　foreign…born　boy　should　acquire　the　English　language　correctly。　I　was　taught　as　if　I　were　American…born；　and；　of　course；　I　was　left　dangling　in　the　air；　with　no　conception　of　what　I　was　trying　to　do。

My　father　worked　with　me　evening　after　evening；　I　plunged　my　young　mind　deep　into　the　bewildering　confusions　of　the　languageand　no　one　realizes　the　confusions　of　the　English　language　as　does　the　foreign…bornand　got　what　I　could　through　these　joint　efforts。　But　I　gained　nothing　from　the　much…vaunted　public…school　system　which　the　United　States　had　borrowed　from　my　own　country；　and　then　had　rendered　incompetent…either　by　a　sheer　disregard　for　the　thoroughness　that　makes　the　Dutch　public　schools　the　admiration　of　the　world；　or　by　too　close　a　regard　for　politics。

Thus；　in　her　most　important　institution　to　the　foreign…born；　America　fell　short。　And　while　I　am　ready　to　believe　that　the　public　school　may　have　increased　in　efficiency　since　that　day；　it　is；　indeed；　a　question　for　the　American　to　ponder；　just　how　far　the　system　is　efficient　for　the　education　of　the　child　who　comes　to　its　school　without　a　knowledge　of　the　first　word　in　the　English　language。　Without　a　detailed　knowledge　of　the　subject；　I　know　enough　of　conditions　in　the　average　public　school　to…day　to　warrant　at　least　the　suspicion　that　Americans　would　not　be　particularly　proud　of　the　system；　and　of　what　it　gives　for　which　annually　they　pay　millions　of　dollars　in　taxes。

I　am　aware　in　making　this　statement　that　I　shall　be　met　with　convincing　instances　of　intelligent　effort　being　made　with　the　foreign…born　children　in　special　classes。　No　one　has　a　higher　respect　for　those　efforts　than　I　havefew；　other　than　educators；　know　of　them　better　than　I　do；　since　I　did　not　make　my　five…year　study　of　the　American　public　school　system　for　naught。　But　I　am　not　referring　to　the　exceptional　instance　here　and　there。　I　merely　ask　of　the　American；　interested　as　he　is　or　should　be　in　the　Americanization　of　the　strangers　within　his　gates；　how　far　the　public　school　system；　as　a　whole；　urban　and　rural；　adapts　itself；　with　any　true　efficiency；　to　the　foreign…born　child。　I　venture　to　color　his　opinion　in　no　wise；　I　simply　ask　that　he　will　inquire　and　ascertain　for　himself；　as　he　should　do　if　he　is　interested　in　the　future　welfare　of　his　country　and　his　institutions；　for　what　happens　in　America　in　the　years　to　come　depends；　in　large　measure；　on　what　is　happening　to…day　in　the　public　schools　of　this　country。

As　a　Dutch　boy　I　was　taught　a　wholesome　respect　for　law　and　for　authority。　The　fact　was　impressed　upon　me　that　laws　of　themselves　were　futile　unless　the　people　for　whom　they　were　made　respected　them；　and　obeyed　them　in　spirit　more　even　than　in　the　letter。　I　came　to　America　to　feel；　on　every　hand；　that　exactly　the　opposite　was　true。　Laws　were　passed；　but　were　not　enforced；　the　spirit　to　enforce　them　was　lacking　in　the　people。　There　was　little　respect　for　the　law；　there　was　scarcely　any　for　those　appointed　to　enforce　it。

The　nearest　that　a　boy　gets　to　the　law　is　through　the　policeman。　In　the　Netherlands　a　boy　is　taught　that　a　policeman　is　for　the　protection　of　life　and　property；　that　he　is　the　natural　friend　of　every　boy　and　man　who　behaves　himself。　The　Dutch　boy　and　the　policeman　are；　naturally；　friendly　in　their　relations。　I　came　to　America　to　be　told　that　a　policeman　is　a　boy's　natural　enemy；　that　he　is　eager　to　arrest　him　if　he　can　find　the　slightest　reason　for　doing　so。　A　policeman；　I　was　informed；　was　a　being　to　hold　in　fear；　not　in　respect。　He　was　to　be　avoided；　not　to　be　made　friends　with。　The　result　was　that；　as　did　all　boys；　I　came　to　regard　the　policeman　on　our　beat　as　a　distinct　enemy。　His　presence　meant　that　we　should　〃stiffen　up〃；　his　disappearance　was　the　signal　for　us　to　〃let　loose。〃

So　long　as　one　was　not　caught；　it　did　not　matter。　I　heard　mothers　tell　their　little　children　that　if　they　did　not　behave　themselves；　the　policeman　would　put　them　into　a　bag　and　carry　them　off；　or　cut　their　ears　off。　Of　course；　the　policeman　became　to　them　an　object　of　terror；　the　law　he　represented；　a　cruel　thing　that　stood　for　punishment。　Not　a　note　of　respect　did　I　ever　hear　for　the　law　in　my　boyhood　days。　A　law　was　something　to　be　broken；　to　be　evaded；　to　call　down　upon　others　as　a　source　of　punishment；　but　never　to　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　safeguard。

And　as　I　grew　into　manhood；　the　newspapers　rang　on　every　side　with　disrespect　for　those　in　authority。　Under　the　special　dispensation　of　the　liberty　of　the　press；　which　was　construed　into　the　license　of　the　press；　no　man　was　too　high　to　escape　editorial　vituperation　if　his　politics　did　not　happen　to　suit　the　manage